Upon Broken Dreams
by ThetaWolfe
Summary: AU Zack was forgetting, forgetting things, people, and places, even himself...He knew Hojo had irreparably changed them...He could hear Cloud's tortured, broken, wordless screams. Zack bit into the metal harder.
1. Of Prologues and Memories

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

"_If the screams from my trunk bother you, then turn up your radio."_

**Of Prologues and Memories**

Zack was forgetting, forgetting things, people, and places…even himself. He was aware of what was happening but he could no longer bring himself to care. He knew he had a kind loving mother…once upon a time, a long, long time ago. But he could no longer remember her name or even what she looked like anymore. It was the same with everything else. He knew his favorite food was strawberries but he could not remember what they tasted like, just like he remembered his favorite music was country but no longer knew what sound it made.

Instead of his mother's face he saw the harsh uncaring eyes of his captors, his tormentors, his masters. Instead of the taste of strawberries he tasted the cold metal of a bit and the occasional cardboard like protein packs disguised as food. Screams of anguish and pain replaced the sound of his music. But no matter how hard he tried to forget how he and his friend, Cloud, had ended up here…he couldn't seem too.

Zack was seven years old when his Mama walked into his bedroom small bedroom. With three siblings he was forced to share with his elder brother, he didn't mind though. Sometimes, when it was late and a storm raged battle across the vast sky, Jeremiah let him crawl into the warm sheets and wait it out until the first light of dawn broke.

His Mama had told him grimly to pack his things, for they would not be coming back for a long while yet. Papa was staying behind with Jeremiah to run the shop they owned in…he couldn't remember…it started with a G, maybe a J. It would be just Mama and him since sister Amelia was due to be wedded in several weeks. His aunt had fallen ill, but it wasn't from a cold or flu, no, she was suffering from terminal lung cancer due to exposure of vaporized mako. There was nothing anyone could do for her accept keep her comfortable in her last few months.

The Fair family resided mostly in…it definitely started with a G, but a few had a traveling spirit and settled elsewhere, his aunt had been one of them. She was a kind slightly over weight woman getting up in her years and had a gift of healing, so at the tender age of sixteen she left her family far behind and bestowed her abilities upon the less fortunate that she came across. I

t wasn't until many years later, widowed and without children, did she settle on a small farm in Nibelhiem. It was her ill fortune that her property was down wind of a Mako Reactor. So it was with a heavy heart that the seven year old said good bye to his family and warm sunny home, leaving with his Mama to the cold windy unforgiving mountains far to the north where the land touched the sky.

Zack couldn't remember meeting his best friend Cloud, who was four at the time, but he did remember how they had ended up in this mess. It was _all _his fault, Cloud had tried to talk sense into him, but Zack was a Fair and they weren't anything if not stubborn with a dash of tenacity. He had ignored his new best friend of two months and continued his exploration. Cloud had followed him hesitantly, all the way through the forested mountain and inside the old abandoned mansion.

He could still remember the tiny voice whispering words of fear. He remembered the too blue eyes pleading silently. He could _feel_ the tiny, pale, smooth hand grabbing his arm, his shirt, his hands, trying to pull him back. He remembered _so_ much, _too _much, and yet not nearly enough.

The mansion hadn't really been abandoned but they discovered that fact a little too late. One minute he had been playing adventurer, dragging a still reluctant Cloud behind, and the next they were strapped down on an examination table. There had been a creepy old man with glasses staring down at them with a smile that they both would become very familiar to them, and Zack knew, he would _never _forget that.

Zack learned later that the man's name was Professor Hojo, and he was a sick twisted fuck if he had ever met one. The son of a bitch enjoyed making them scream; especially Cloud…said he made the most exquisite sounds when in agony. Zack was a kind, loving person, just as his Mama raised him, and before that day he had never known hate. Now he knows nothing but.

The metal bit clicked painfully against his white and abnormally sharp teeth as Zack's jaw clenched in frustration. He was alone right now, the Professor having taken Cloud for a little one-on-one time with the boy. He did that occasionally, separated them, but only when one was being punished. Hojo always left the culprit to stew in silence as he tortured the innocent party instead. That was, of course, if one of them _was_ innocent.

Zack wasn't sure how long they had been here, in this mansion of terror, but it must have been a long time. Zack felt older, that was for certain, and Cloud looked a lot older, at least a decade if not more. Zack wasn't sure how he looked since there were no mirrors and he spent the majority of his time blindfolded, but he was certain he had grown as well.

He knew Hojo had irreparably changed them, both physically and mentally. Zack's memory was spotty at best, but he was certain that both he and Cloud had looked different then what they appeared as now…and used to have less appendages. Zack thought upon it no more as his ears swiveled to the door. He could hear Cloud's tortured, broken, wordless screams. Zack bit into the metal harder.


	2. Of Secrets and Labs

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

"_All I want is less to do, more time to do it, and higher pay for not getting it done."_

**Of Secrets and Labs**

A soft caress of a sigh, a whispering of turning pages, a creaking of shifting leather…he was bored. Angeal Hewley, SOLDIER First Class, was completely and utterly bored. The words stamped across pages could have been written in a foreign language for all he knew, because he understood very little of what was printed. Maybe if he put an effort behind it he could…no, it wasn't even worth the effort of trying.

Angeal had no idea what the higher ups were thinking when they sent him, Genesis, _**and**_ Sephiroth to the tiny insignificant town of Nibelheim, but whatever it was it had better damn well been worth it. They had been escorting several groups of scientists and engineers up to the town's Mako Reactor and back, every day for the last few weeks and tempers were beginning to flare.

He was frustrated and bored out of his mind…and he was the most patient out of the three. He didn't even want to imagine how Genesis was handling it. Sephiroth on the other hand would never let something this trivial break his outward stoic-ness. Angeal contemplated momentarily if that was even a word, but then drew his mind back to his annoying thoughts.

For the life of him he couldn't figure out why all three of Shinra's finest were needed for such a remedial task of escorting a bunch of nobodies all the way up to the Mako Reactor and then back to the decrepit mansion. So what if the monsters in the Nibel Mountains were some of the most dangerous, it _did not_ require all three of them. Maybe Hojo was just being paranoid, or maybe he was intentionally trying to piss them off…he would never know for sure.

The twisted Professor was currently being held on a tight leash by President Shinra himself when the media went into a feeding frenzy a couple months ago. Apparently someone leaked to the press that Hojo was conducting human experimentation…off the books of course. Initially the President tried to dissuade the media from airing their obviously 'fabricated' data, and stood behind the mad man proudly…that was until the leak turned out to be Hojo's own personal assistant.

A full scale investigation was being held and everyone was pointing fingers. The citizens were up in arms about such accusations and demanded that the Professor be brought to justice, but President Shinra owed Hojo far too much to let a scandal ruin his reputation. So he was attempting to stonewall the press and investigation services while conducting a secret, albeit thorough cleanup.

Angeal was not to know of any of this, none of them were, but he had connections and that was the real reason why they were in Nibelheim. There wasn't any problems with the Reactor, well none that needed this many scientists and engineers, it was a scrubbing. They were destroying evidence and getting rid of the documentation, but since Angeal and the others weren't supposed to know nor did they have any proof, they were forced to do nothing. Until they had solid evidence to destroy the sick bastard, there hands were tied.

Both Genesis and he had spent the first two weeks searching through every inch of the mansion and the Reactor but they had found nothing. Sephiroth had simply observed them, slightly amused and a little skeptical, but did not participate in the actual searching itself. He would of course back them if they found anything, but he thought his time was better spent doing something more productive…like paper work.

Snapping the book he had been reading shut with a loud clap, Angeal huffed in annoyance and marched over to the book case to find something more interesting then the 'History of Mako' to read. After searching day in and day out for any sort of clue, Angeal had called it quits and given up on finding anything incrementing against the Professor and turned his pursuits elsewhere…like finding a book that was even remotely interesting.

Sephiroth glanced up from the only desk in the library where he was still filling out documents that were far too important to wait until they got back to Midgar, or so he told the both of them…repeatedly. Mako green eyes took in the sight of one of his closest friends. Angeal was on edge, they all were. Genesis had surprisingly kept his temper in check, and the General's eyes were drawn to the red head in the corner. He hadn't even looked up from his copy of 'Loveless'.

Angeal was tapping his foot in impatience as he perused the shockingly boring selection of reading material before him. He stilled as something finally caught his interest and he reached a tan hand up to grab it. The book didn't budge. Brow furrowed in consternation, he gave the blue book a firm yank and almost stumbled onto his ass in surprise when the bookcase shifted and then slid to the side revealing a dark passageway.

Sephiroth set his pen down and quickly made his way over to his friend. Genesis joined them a moment later while he tucked his book away inside his long crimson coat. Curiosity danced behind his blue eyes, but the General had a sense of foreboding. Secret passages in an old decrepit mansion owned by Shinra and occupied by Hojo could mean nothing but trouble for them. But…he was a little curious, and this might just be the evidence that they were looking for to put the mad man behind bars once and for all.

Glowing green eyes met those of his friends before they all came to a silent mutual consent. Together they descended the worn wooden steps into the inky black abyss below.

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Genesis didn't know what he was expecting when they reached the bottom of the stairs, but some how a white sterile hall was not it. Though knowing Hojo they really shouldn't have been surprised. It was a lab, one that was currently in use if the voices further off where any indication. Genesis was positive that the underground secret laboratory wasn't on any of the schematics that were given to them during their briefing. Maybe that's why it went unnoticed for so long.

The others were tense beside him and his hand gripped the sheath of his faithful Rapier to calm his own fraying nerves. It helped…a little…not enough. He still felt uneasy; this place gave him the creeps. Angeal stepped next to him and placed a gentle hand on his forearm, forcing his grip to relax and calming Genesis with his physical presence.

Sephiroth took the lead as they made their way cautiously down the long hallway. They opened every door they came across but had yet to run into anyone else. The first door had been a simple closet, carrying the average cleaning supplies. Unfortunately that was the most normal thing they found. Every other room after that looked like it came straight out of a horror film. One room in particular appeared to be some sort of torture chamber. There were chains hanging from the ceiling, dried blood on the walls, and a pool of still coagulating blood upon the floor.

It wasn't until the fourth room did they run into their first problem. The door was locked. Sephiroth stared at the number coded locking mechanism in what could only be classified as consternation, pale pink lips pressing together, eyebrows raised. A leather clad hand rose gently, fingers caressing numbers in interest before he punched right through it. When he pulled his hand back, he brought a bunch of brightly colored wires with it. They could hear the lock disengage even over the crackling of electricity coming from the now exposed and severed wires.

"Very subtle Seph," Genesis said giving Sephiroth a sly smirk. The taller man just raised one elegant silver eyebrow before sweeping past his friends and into the room.

Genesis and Angeal followed him quickly after sharing a _look_, and almost walked straight into his back as he had stopped moving suddenly. Curious as to what could have caused his superior officer to freeze in surprise, both Genesis and Angeal moved around to either side so they were flanking him.

The room was as clinically white and emotionally detached as the hallway they had just left. There appeared to be only one exit, which they had just entered through. It was darker in the room, as if it was intentional, and Genesis' mako enhanced eyes swept the room carefully and efficiently before settling upon a figure against the adjacent wall. From Angeal's quietly muffled gasp he had noticed it too.

Genesis could just make out the shape but nothing detailed as the only light source appeared to be from what spilled out from the hall. Feeling along the wall, his fingers paused over what he was sure was a light switch before he depressed it. He was proven correct in his assumption when light quickly flooded the room, leaving no corner untouched.

His eyes never left the figure, there for he saw as it flinched harshly at the loud click and penetrating light. It was a person, a young male if his eyes weren't deceiving him…possibly eighteen, nineteen at the most. He had longish spiky black hair, a decent athletic build, tanned skin, no shirt, and a pair of dark grey sweat pants riding precariously low on his hips. They were resting so low that Genesis would comfortably bet that he wasn't wearing any underwear beneath them.

The male was kneeling and bound. A smooth metal collar wrapped firmly around his neck, just shy of being too tight, with a thick metal chain hooked through the loop in the front and attaching to the floor in between his spread thighs. It had just enough slack that he could straighten, but not stand. Arms were bound by leather buckle restraints behind him, encasing his wrists all the way up to his elbows, forcing them together and nearly dislocating his shoulders in the process. The position could not be comfortable.

As Genesis allowed his eyes to travel lower he saw that even if the young man hadn't been chained to the ground he still would not have been able to stand. Leather straps were wrapped around each upper thigh and encircled his ankles, locking them together. Two triangular things upon his head twitched in their direction and the boy's head slowly tilted towards them.

A black blindfold was covering his eyes and Genesis nearly did a double take to confirm that yes that really was a metal bit jammed in between his teeth, pulling tightly at his lips and latched behind his head. It was either to keep him from biting the scientists or committing suicide by choking on his own tongue. From the looks of his elongated canines though, Genesis would have put money on the former.

The boy's body was covered in bruises of varying sizes, scars of varying shapes, and several wounds that were still bleeding, albeit sluggishly. Angeal took a shuffling step forward and the boy's head snapped suddenly in his direction, the two triangular things perched in his hair stood strait. Genesis wouldn't have known that his friend had moved if the young man hadn't zeroed in on it. Angeal was always exceptional at stealth, not even Sephiroth could hear him when he was trying to be quiet.

He saw the left black triangle twitch towards the General and himself while the right one stayed fixed upon Angeal. It was only then that Genesis finally realized what they were. They were ears, canine like ears. Movement by the boy's leg drew his eyes and the Lieutenant General stared in disbelief as he saw what could only be a tail. Just what in the name of Gaia was Hojo doing?

Angeal started forward slowly and Genesis saw him freeze when a low rumbling growl filled the small room and bounced upon the walls. The sound wasn't like anything he could recreate, not even Sephiroth sounded like that when he growled in frustration. It wasn't human; the sound was purely animalistic and clearly meant to warn off others. Angeal was not to be deterred though, and continued forward after the initial shock wore off.

All three of them could see the tension rolling off of the younger male as Angeal got closer. When he was about five feet away they saw the black ears swivel around to press flat against his skull, nearly disappearing in his hair, lips pull further away from already exposed teeth and a snarl was ripped from his throat. This time Angeal didn't stop, instead he looked as if he was actually expecting the reaction.

He finally stopped when he was less then a foot away and then kneeled in front of the bound male. Genesis could see the boy trembling.


	3. Of Prisoners and Puppies

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

"_A woman broke up with me and sent me pictures of her and her new boyfriend in bed together. Solution? I sent them to her dad."_

**Of Prisoners and Puppies**

Zack was startled out of his light doze when he heard the loud thump outside his 'cage' followed by his door sliding open. Curious as to why there were people there, he tilted his head and sniffed. The scents he picked up were even more confusing, they were intertwined with each other, as if they spent a lot of time together.

He couldn't smell disinfectant so it wasn't a scientist coming to experiment upon him, nor did he pick up the scent of sweat, cheap cologne, and badly concealed lust, meaning it was not one of the guards coming to entertain themselves.

Thank the Planet for small favors.

Instead he was able to classify the scents as something more earthly, more exotic, laced with the undercurrent of Mako. That made his nose twitch and he could practically feel the vile green liquid dance across his skin, leaving an agonizing burn in its wake. Phantom pains, he once heard Hojo mumble to himself, a psychological effect due to severe trauma. Cloud would be likely submerged in the stuff soon. The thought left his stomach reeling.

He twitched an ear away, listening. He could still hear him, high pitched hoarse screams, barely audible, always there. They followed him into his dreams and haunted him in the silence. Zack felt disgusted with himself when the agonizing, broken screams reassured him. It meant that he was alive, it meant that he was still fighting, it meant too much and yet not nearly enough.

A loud click from the light switch pulled him from his deprecating thoughts and caused him to flinch harshly. The people shifted by the door. He could make out the sound of three sets of boots, but there could be more out in the hall. A growl rose from his chest as he heard one of them move closer. _That_ soon turned into a snarl of rage and fear as the male continued to come closer still.

The testosterone and obvious lack of estrogen in the air confirmed that all three figures were male. He wished they were female, the woman were always nicer. They weren't nice…just _nicer_. When he factored in the heavy scent of Mako he quickly came to the conclusion that they could all easily overpower him, especially in his vulnerable state. He couldn't even move to protect himself.

Zack started to tremble in fear as the man got closer. He heard leather creaking and feel the displacement of air as the one before him crouched down. Shifting back as far as he could go, which was a pathetic two and a half inches, ears pressed flat against his head. Zack suddenly wished it was a scientist or even a guard before him. Anything but this unknown.

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Angeal watched with one part curiosity, one part anger, and three parts sadness as the boy before him tried desperately to shrink into himself. He had been badly used, and now he could see the light scars up close, the abuse had been over a long period of time. A flash of black caught his eyes and he glanced down to see a fluffy tail curl underneath the boy, coming up between his thighs, and over his groin. The end was just shy of reaching his bellybutton.

As a child, Angeal had had several dogs growing up, so the gesture was not lost on him. The poor kid was terrified, toned muscles quivering underneath tanned skin, and the SOLDIER knew that if he had not been restrained, the young man would have bolted out of the room a long time ago.

He pulled his eyes back up, before something attracted his attention. Angeal saw red as his mind processed what his eyes were seeing. Bruises, finger shaped bruises on his hips. Sweet Gaia, what had happened to the poor boy?

Forcing calm into his angered thoughts, Angeal made a hushing noise and started to murmur words of assurance in order to try and calm the distressed male. Ignoring what his friends would think, he gently tried to placate the one before him, hoping he could calm the other down long enough to release him. Nobody deserved to be a guinea pig for the twisted Professor, especially not this boy.

Removing his gloves, Angeal raised a hand slowly; he thought it would be best to remove the blindfold first. Well, that was what he had attempted to do at least, but the second the tips of his fingers brushed the other's face the boy had flinched so harshly Angeal would have thought he had been struck.

The dark haired boy moved down and away so he was now doubled over and leaning to his right. A vicious snarl was torn from his collared throat and he started to tremble even more so his whole body seemed to be vibrating.

"Easy, easy," Angeal spoke slowly and calmly as he fought the urge to react to such a sudden movement and hostile reaction. He was talking as one would to a wild animal or a startled Chocobo, and his hand stayed unmoving from its suspended position.

He remembered when he was a boy and his mom had taken in an abused puppy. She had told him you never follow it down when they cringe away because that could cause them to attack in fear. Instead you had to wait until they came back up to you. Albeit in this case there was no fear of a retaliation seeing as the other was completely bound, but the fact still remained. Looking at the bound and broken boy before him, Angeal was reminded of that puppy.

"It's okay, Puppy, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

Slowly, the growling started to decrease in volume and the boy started to straighten up. He didn't move back into his original position, as if he could sense the older male's hand hovering right there. Instead he stopped just a few inches shy, head and body tilted slightly to the right as he started to calm down. He was still trembling though.

Angeal moved his hand closer again, keeping his voice steady and reassuring. This time when his fingers made contact with the raven haired boy's cheek he didn't double over in panic. He still flinched, but not nearly as badly as before, and Angeal kept the physical contact even when the other moved away.

"I'm just going to remove the blindfold. There is no reason to worry."

Carefully he slid his fingers up, just a ghost of a touch really, as sword calloused tips hooked underneath the black cloth before slowly easing it above the boy's eyes and then off of his head entirely. His eyes were clenched shut tightly, but Angeal suspected it was from the rapid light change and not fear, and so he waited patiently for the eyes to open.

Eventually the muscles started to relax and he saw one eye peak at him before both snapped open suddenly. The younger man was blinking rapidly, trying to get his eyesight to adjust to the bright glaring lights in the sterile room while simultaneously trying to focus on him. After a while his eyes adjusted and then he just simply stared, distrust and disbelief dancing behind his clearly intelligent gaze.

His eyes were a bright purple, Mako having made them grow eerily. Angeal slowly, very slowly moved his hand back to the younger male's face in order to remove the bit. The luminescent purple eyes snapped to his moving appendage and he could see the pupil's contract and then dilate in fear, but his hand did not stop until it was once again resting fully on the side of the boy's face.

A strange sense of pride and accomplishment filled him when the other hardly flinched at his touch. "Now I'm going to remove the bit…please try not to bite me," Genesis snorted quietly in the background, but he went ignored.

He was explaining everything he did before he preformed the action, giving the other a sense of control. It helped to ease the younger's nerves a little and so Angeal brought his other hand up and started to undo the buckle clasp in the back while the one resting on the surprisingly smooth face slid down to cup his chin. He didn't think that the prisoner would try and take his fingers off with those astonishing sharp teeth, but he would rather have been safe then sorry.

The metal of the buckle was cold against his bare skin and it took him several minutes to work out how the clasp worked. Leaning in to get a better look, he hesitated momentarily when he felt the head beneath his hand move and heard the other inhale sharply. _Was he sniffing him?_

When the other made no more curious movements he continued. After he fumbled around for a while, not that he would ever admit to _fumbling_, the buckle came undone and he heard a harsh click of metal hitting bone as it rested against the boy's bottom teeth. Easing back, Angeal tightened his hand on the boy's chin, holding him gently but firmly in place while he eased the bit out of his mouth.

The Puppy's lips were cracked and bleeding from being stretched uncomfortably for so long and Angeal could not imagine what his jaw must have felt like. Twisting his body slightly, the Lieutenant General set the bit down carefully, afraid of making to much noise and startling the one before him. As he did so he could see his two friends over shoulder.

Genesis was standing in front of the mostly closed door watching for hostiles, but Angeal could tell most of his focus was on the interactions of the prisoner and himself. Sephiroth on the other hand was watching with rapt attention, slight confusion dancing beneath his eyes.

Bringing his attention back to the prisoner, Angeal loosened his grip on the boy's chin before moving his other hand back up. Once both were again on either side of his face, the SOLDIER placed his thumbs on the joints where the jaw attached to the skull and pushed. Automatically the younger male's mouth opened widely and several loud cracks resonated around the otherwise silent room as his jaw attempted to realign itself and stressed ligament snapped back into place.

Angeal kept pressure on his jaw, moving his thumbs in slow circular motions to help ease some of the pain, and he saw as the boy's ears dropped, tail uncurl from its cowed position underneath him, and his eyes became half lidded in pleasure. Just like a puppy.

The realization left the SOLDIER with a slightly sickening feeling. The young male was obviously very uncomfortable and in a lot of pain, but even so that he found great pleasure out of such a simple touch made the Lieutenant General wonder just how much contact had he had that didn't end in pain.

Sighing quietly to himself, he dropped his hands down to the chain attached to the collar and easily snapped the lock. The boy was still opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, getting feeling back into his jaw, and didn't even flinch at the sound of metal hitting tile as the chain fell uselessly to the floor. The collar would have to wait, as Angeal didn't see anyway to remove it currently without hurting the one before him. They would need proper tools to get rid of it.

As he moved onto the straps around his legs, he paused and looked up when he heard a strangled hoarse sound come from the one he was helping. He didn't stop unbuckling the restraints even as purple Mako eyes met his own blue ones. He saw the boy lick his dry lips and clear his throat before trying again. That's when Angeal realized what he was doing, he was trying to talk.

"W-who…?"

His voice cracked at the end of the single word and he visibly cringed as his battered vocal cords tried to work. Angeal waited patiently for several seconds, moving onto the other leg when he finished with the straps on the first, but it seemed as though that was all the boy was able to get out.

"Who am I?" Angeal supplied, eyebrow quirked in inquiry. When he received a hesitant nod, he continued. "My name is Angeal Hewley," at the moment he thought it best to leave out titles. "Behind me is my friend Sephiroth, and the red head at the door is Genesis."

Sephiroth inclined his head during introductions but Genesis gave no more then a half hearted wave in their general direction, eyes never leaving the still abandoned hallway. Angeal watched the boy's face carefully for any reaction that could give him a clue to what was to be expected. The raven haired man looked at both of the other males behind him, but no recognition was present in his gaze. He didn't even seem interested in the General of Shinra himself. That was not good.

"How…" Angeal trailed off, momentarily distracted as he removed the final strap binding his legs. Shifting back a little so he was no longer in the smaller man's personal space and had a clear view of his face. "How long have you been down here?"

The boy's mouth opened and closed silently a couple times before he bit his already abused lip and shook his head in confusion. He didn't know then. That wasn't strange though, considering that they were underground and he doubted Hojo let his experiments keep a calendar. Perhaps if he wanted an answer he needed to approach the question differently.

"Okay," Angeal kept his voice calm and even so as not to scare the other. He didn't want him thinking that the Lieutenant General was mad at him because he didn't know the answer. "How about your age, how old were you when you first came…" that wasn't right, _came_ was obviously the wrong word, "…when you were first _brought_ here?"

Bottom lip was yet again trapped between teeth as the other tried to think. Angeal thought it was cute, but wisely kept his opinions to himself. After a while, a long while, the bleeding lip was released from its confines and his question was met with an answer…sort of.

"S-seven?"  
It was stated as a question, like he couldn't quite remember, and now Angeal could see why. That was clearly over a decade ago, if not more. By the Planet, how _long_ had the mad twisted Professor had this boy for?

"Sweet merciful Goddess!"

Two black fluffy ears snapped onto Genesis' position as the boy cringed at the hostile words. "Hey there, easy…" hands were again on his face, rubbing his temples, stroking his jaw…calming him. "He isn't mad at you, Puppy…it's okay."

That was said with a hostile backward glance at the fiery red head. Genesis had the decency to look apologetic. After a while, when he was yet again calm, Angeal moved around behind him. As he started to work on the many buckles and locks trapping the two tan and scarred arms, Angeal noticed that one of the ears tracked him while the other remained steadfast on his friends' position.

His head was turned slightly so he could keep the dark haired SOLDIER in his peripheral while keeping the other two males in his sights as well and the Lieutenant General released a quiet sigh. Even though he was there to help and he promised not to harm him, the kid was still paranoid and distrusting. It couldn't be helped though, not with his obvious history with Hojo.

"I don't believe I caught your name?"

He saw a dark eyebrow quirk, imitating his previous gesture and was forced to smother a grin. "Z-" he cut himself off, thinking. "Zack…?"

His voice was still hoarse, but as he used it more it became easier for him to talk. His name was also asked as a question, like he wasn't exactly sure if that was right but it seemed to fit. "Zack then…well Zack it is a pleasure to meet you."

When he was nearing the end of the buckles by his wrists Angeal noticed two things. One was that 'Zack' had impressively sharp nails and the other was that the ear trained on him was constantly flicking to the side where the hall lay just behind the cement wall. It was as if he was listening to something…or _for_ something.

When Angeal was undoing the last buckle he asked him about the odd behavior and froze mid motion. The answer made his blood run cold and as he glanced up at his friends he saw identical looks of shock, horror, and disgust coloring their faces.

"My friend…" Zack trailed off as he swallowed and licked his lips again, voice clinically detached. "Cloud…he's stopped screaming."


	4. Of Hope and Understanding

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

"_Stamp: 44 cents. Fancy Paper: 2 dollars. Calligraphy Font online: 1 dollar. My 11 year old sister thinking she's been accepted to Hogwarts: Priceless."_

**Of Hope and Understanding**

Confusion swam in Zack's already muddled mind. He just didn't understand. The person before him…Angel, no…_Angeal_, he was kind. Zack wasn't used to kind, didn't even know such a thing existed before. He didn't strike at him when Zack flinched, didn't raise his voice when he couldn't answer simple questions. He just didn't _understand_.

The strange man had removed the blindfold and bit with gentle fingers. His fingers didn't bite into his skin and make him bleed; they didn't tear at his clothes, at his flesh, at his soul. They were gentle and yet strong as the pushed into just the right spot, easing the pressure his jaw was under. They took away the pain and hurt, and it left Zack confused. What did this man want?

Others had been like him, coming in with kind words but cruel eyes. They made him believe, just briefly, when he was younger, that they wanted to help. They lied, it was all _lies_. They tore him apart and left him to suffer in the dark, alone, forgotten. But Zack had learned, learned that kind words were always laced with poison, hands were always cruel, and eyes never lied. He would not let them make him believe, make him _hope_.

This man before him was filled with nothing but lies, Zack knew, because hands were always cruel, no matter how gentle they felt. He would play along…for now, let them believe he was broken, make them think he was weak. But he would be waiting, waiting for one of them to slip up, to become careless, and then he would strike.

The guards knew better, knew not to untie him, not to remove his bit, not to give him any foothold no matter how small because Zack _would_ find a way to exploit it. He had been bitted for a long time now, having it removed _only_ for feeding time, once a week. A guard had once thought him broken, thought him cowed, thought his mouth was pretty. Removing the bit was the last thing he ever did.

Zack could still remember the taste of the other's blood as his teeth tore through skin and muscle. Felt his heart give out as his throat collapsed from the pressure, heard his last gurgling gasp before death stole the light in his eyes. Mako violet eyes glanced upon the pale neck of the man behind him. He wondered how long it would take to strangle him, tear out his larynx, watch him die. Would the others make it to him in time? Probably…they didn't look weak.

He glanced back at the other two; he had never seen anyone with red hair before. Then again he never saw much of anybody. Those that retrieved him always wore helmets and balaclava that covered their faces. The scientist usually wore face masks, except Hojo, he liked his experiments to _see_ who was torturing them. He had never seen anyone like the other as well.

The red head…Genesis, was still standing guard at the door, but the other…the other. Sephiroth, the name sounded vaguely familiar, like a half forgotten dream, was watching him intently. Zack's eyes narrowed dangerously and he barely resisted snarling at the man, he wondered if the other knew what he was thinking.

Zack couldn't risk letting them know what he was thinking, couldn't risk letting them know he wasn't broken. They were releasing him, and he _needed_ to get to Cloud. Seconds later the last buckle was finally undone and he felt sweet relief as his shoulders were back into the original place.

Strong, gentle hands gripped either shoulder and Zack couldn't have stopped his body from reacting even if he wanted too. He flinched and snarled, head whirling around, teeth bared. He tried to jerk out of the other's grip but it was futile. The gloveless hands pushed his shoulders down, forcing him back into his seated position and then pushed _right_ there.

The fight left him in seconds, muscles relaxing, tension easing…bliss. Zack moaned in pleasure as the man, Angeal, dug his fingers into sore abused muscles and he just melted into the sensation. Zack _knew_ he couldn't be trusted, nobody could. It was just him and Cloud, against the world…but the world could wait. Right now, Zack was floating, and he let euphoria take him.

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Genesis observed the young man before them. Long dexterous fingers were digging into tender and abused muscles and he barely suppressed the chuckle that was attempting to burst forth. The boy practically melted into the ministrations of his dear friend. Angeal was right when he called him Puppy, because the young man was just like one…and just as easily distracted.

He hadn't missed the way the boy, Zack, reacted to their very presence. The kid was just waiting for them to turn on him; he could see it in the violet Mako eyes. They practically bled suspicion, pupils still dilated in fear, eyes darting around frantically. He was looking for the other shoe to drop. And he couldn't really be blamed, not with the way he had been treated.

Blue eyes glanced over to his superior. Sephiroth's green ones met his, a thought seemed to pass between them, and the silver head inclined just slightly. He noticed it too. Most likely, the Puppy would wait for their backs to be turned, their guard to be off, and then the kid was going to make a break for it…it was what he would have done.

He brought his focus back to the brightly lit hallway. A knot settled in his stomach as words voiced in apathy replayed in his mind. Just how many people, how many _kids_ did Hojo have down here? Normally the red headed SOLDIER was all up for tormenting those weaker than him, but not like this…never like this.

Whispered words of reassurance met his ears before the sound of shuffling. Angeal was promising the kid freedom while helping him to stand. Zack looked as if he didn't want the help, but clearly he needed it. His legs shook unsteadily beneath him as cramped limbs tried to function after a long time of immobility. Not even Mako could completely fix that; he would need some sort of therapy to get his muscles back into shape.

Angeal had his hand clamped gently, but firmly around the boy's bicep, assisting him while making sure he didn't do anything rash. His dark haired friend noticed too. A look of anger crossed the boy's face before it settled on apathy once again. So the kid was aware of his position.

With Angeal still 'supporting' him, the Puppy took a few unsteady steps before his body seemed to remember the act of walking. Genesis shifted back, allowing Sephiroth to pass him and walk back out into the hall. They still had another to save…this Cloud person. A Mako blue eye twitched as Genesis could _feel_ the headache starting to get worse. By the Goddess he hated this place.

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Angeal gently pulled Zack out of the room, Genesis bringing up the rear. He felt the boy pull lightly at his arm, testing the Lieutenants strength as inconspicuously as possible. Tightening his grip just briefly, he warned the Puppy from doing it again. He didn't look at the one that he held captive, didn't want to see the accusing eyes filled with hatred and betrayal.

He had promised to set the young male free, and he would, but first they had another to rescue and he would not allow the boy to wonder on his own. Once this whole thing was over, he would let the boy go, but for now, he wasn't going anywhere.

Hand still grasped upon the surprisingly muscular bicep, he felt the other one turn just slightly. He was probably looking behind them, at Genesis. With Sephiroth leading and the Lieutenant behind, the boy had no chance of escaping them. He felt the body he was practically dragging slouch a little. The Pup knew there was no way for him to get loose.

Glancing at the Puppy's crest fallen face, Angeal tried to ignore the way his chest tightened. The boy didn't look disappointed, just accepting, like he knew better than to expect help. Had the boy been broken so completely he no longer understood the concept of hope?

Anger was bubbling inside of him, and he could tell the way that Sephiroth carried himself that he too was furious. Hojo's treachery had gone even further than any had thought. He wondered briefly if President Shinra was aware of just how twisted his head scientist truly was. Probably not; but even if he did, would he truly even care?

Angeal forced the emotions away; they wouldn't do any good right now. They went down one flight of stairs and three hallways, passing many nondescript doors before they finally ran into a guard. He didn't even have time to process what was happening before the Masamune pinned him to the wall and his life came to an abrupt end. It seemed Sephiroth couldn't push past his anger as easily as his Lieutenant.

Two hallways later, the strange boy they were dragging with them suddenly stopped and tugged harshly at his captive arm. If Angeal hadn't been prepared for a reaction such as that, he would have most likely stumbled, as it was he still had to adjust his balance to keep from doing so. The Puppy was stronger than he thought.

Violet eyes were latched onto another nondescript door that looked just like the dozens they had seen before. The three First Class Elites would have just passed it by if Zack hadn't had such a strong reaction. Something behind it was important.

Angeal glanced at his two companions, Genesis was watching them intently, fist gripped almost painfully around his Rapier. Sephiroth was still walking further down the hall, having not noticed that the rest of the group had stopped. "Seph, hold up a minute," Angeal called after him. The General turned towards him, raising an elegant silver eyebrow in inquiry. Nodding his head to the right, he gestured to the door that Zack was still starring at with rapt attention. Sephiroth quickly made his way back over to his Lieutenants and Angeal had to apply more pressure to his grip as the boy tried to wiggle away even harder. It seemed that even without his reputation, the General was still a very intimidating man. A high pitched whine filled the air as Sephiroth approached and Angeal shushed the young man gently when he started to struggle even more.

"Easy Puppy, easy," Angeal's voice was low and gentle as he sent his Commanding Officer a reproachful look. Sephiroth didn't look even slightly apologetic at erasing his friend's limited progress, but he did slow his approach. A slightly tanned and scarred hand grabbed his wrist, trying to tug himself free and Angeal bit back a grimace as long sharp nails dug into his skin.

Still maintaining his hold, Hewley pried the other's grip off his wrist with gentle patience. The young man's hand came away covered slightly in blood and he watched in poorly concealed interest as the Mako in Angeal's blood activated, healing the small wounds instantly.

Sephiroth stopped just out of reach giving Angeal and his new 'charge' giving them plenty of space. Genesis seemed to have the same idea, as he was even further away. "What is the problem?" Sephiroth's tone was only slightly impatient, effectively hiding his annoyance.

Angeal gave him a grateful look before answering, "The Puppy seems to have found something," both the General and Genesis turned to the door in interest. There was no viewing port and only a keypad. Genesis glanced at the keypad, then to the General before going back to the keypad. Pulling the reluctant Zack away from the door, Angeal rolled his eyes in fond annoyance as his friend performed a very theatrical bow.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and they both knew he would have also rolled his eyes if he didn't think it beneath him. The General stepped up in front of the keypad and proceeded to tear it apart just as elegantly as he had the previous one. The Puppy nearly jumped a foot at the loud thud the silver haired man's fist made before the door opened.

The next moment Angeal found himself with his hands full, trying to keep the younger male from bolting into the room. Genesis unsheathed his Rapier and stepped into the dimly lit room as his dark haired friend grabbed both of the boy's wrists and pulled him even further down the hall.

"Zack," he called, trying to get the struggling boy to pay attention. It didn't work. "Zack…Puppy, listen to me," Angeal tightened his hold, one hand gripping both of the smaller wrists, his other darting out and taking a firm hold on his chin. The Lieutenant made Zack look at him, and once he was sure he had his full attention, he eased the pressure.

"Genesis and Sephiroth are going to clear the room. Once they are done, then and only then will we go in," Zack seemed to struggle a little harder, trying to pull his face away from the older male's grip. A half snarl left his lips and Angeal was once again able to see his unusually sharp canines. "I need you to calm down, can you do that?"

It took several minutes, but with kind patience he was finally rewarded. It seemed the Puppy learned that he was not going to be able to win this battle. Angeal watched with barely concealed interest as the other drooped in acceptance. His ears, which had been pressed to his head were hanging low and submissive, his tail no longer bristled and slightly curled under.

Once he was positive that the boy was done acting out, Angeal released his chin and one of his wrists. Seconds later Sephiroth's clear deep voice trailed out into the hall. "The room is clear," an unknown emotion escaping in his tone.

Angeal waited a second longer before he made his way into the room, the Puppy barely restraining himself from bolting inside. As they crossed the threshold the Lieutenant was stopped in his tracks by the sight before him. "Sweet Merciful Goddess…"


End file.
